HR Grapevine Advent Calendar: 6 top disciplinary calls from last Christmas

A nice way to encourage staff to get into the Christmas spirit is through an annual work party – but what happens when employees get a little too carried away with spirits? And I don’t mean just the festive ones…

David Southall, Employment Law Consultant for ELAS, says that it’s important to remember that while a Christmas party is an occasion to have fun, it is also an extension of the workplace and people should behave accordingly.

He explains: “Nobody wants to be a humbug this time of year but employees should know that what seems like a harmless bit of fun at the time can turn into an HR nightmare on Monday morning.

“When the alcohol is flowing it’s easy for banter to cross the line into offensive behaviour or sexual harassment. This can in turn lead to constructive dismissal or discrimination claims with the potential to tarnish a company’s reputation or result in large compensation pay-outs.”